Cannabis in the 2016 Primary Election​By Ron Mullins, Vice President of Brownie Mary Democrats of Sacramento County

It is quite surprising to see the drastic changes in presidential politics that have taken place in just four short years. In fairly recent political memory, we didn't have presidential candidates arguing over who was more pro-Cannabis. They were forever dancing on the line, afraid of looking soft on crime – especially in the Bible Belt – if they supported Cannabis. It was believed, then, that “stoners” didn't vote, so it was okay to still support the “War on Drugs” without losing any votes.

As late as of the 2012 presidential election, the Cannabis Community did not have a champion in national politics. In fact, we had to have protests, trying to educate President Obama on the fact that Cannabis voters even existed and that his policies needed to change. Following the 2012 election, President Obama said, in an interview, that Recreational users of Cannabis, in states that have legalized it, should not be a "top priority" of federal law enforcement officials to continue fighting the “War on Drugs". Unfortunately, his administration did not live up to his promise. Federal officers have, regrettably, continued to persecute legal Cannabis users. Politicians, quite often, say one thing to get younger voters, but then are unable to stay true to what was said. The political reality is that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) does not want prohibition to end.

Enter Bernie Sanders. Now begins a new age of Cannabis in Democratic politics. Bernie’s campaign is not just making political promises; it is actually demonstrating the political will to end the prohibition of Cannabis. In November of 2015, Senator Bernie Sanders actually submitted a bill to remove Cannabis from the Controlled Substances List, therefore activating thousands of previously disenfranchised voters who don’t usually vote (or vote Libertarian). His promises to end Cannabis prosecutions and reform the Criminal Justice system have, fortunately, driven Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton towards the left on Cannabis politics in an attempt to win over millennial voters.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the political coin, we have the Republicans using this issue in varying degrees of Conservatism. Some Republicans promise to dismantle everything related to state Medical and Recreational Cannabis. Others claim they believe Medical Cannabis works; but then, like Jeb Bush (admitted toker), there are still those who believe that Cannabis causes brain damage, despite scientific evidence. I believe, regardless of where the Republicans stand, we're going to see activity much worse than what we saw in President Obama's first term if one of them becomes President. There is a lot of political pressure, on the Conservative side of the aisle, to push back on Medical Cannabis as well as its Recreational use. A president who is beholden to special interests like Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Big Liquor, etc., would definitely work to marginalize Cannabis and its users. If a Republican were to gain the office of President, I feel that we would see a surge in DEA expenditures and possibly more raids in states that voted for legal Medical and/or Recreational Cannabis.

So what are we in Sacramento to do? I'll tell you what we should do. We should cast our primary votes for Bernie Sanders to show all Democratic politicians that it pays to pander to Cannabis voters. This is really the only way we will have an impact once the Primary Election is done. California typically goes for the Democrat in a General Election, but we need to make our voices vociferously heard in the Primary Election. Hopefully, no matter which Democrat prevails, we won’t have to see someone like Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, or Marco Rubio in the White House.

​I wouldn't listen to the hype that Hillary is against Cannabis. She simply finds it too risky to come out fully in support. Please remember that she and President Obama both claimed they were against same sex marriage in the 2012 election; now they are both very much supportive of it. This is because they couldn't appear to be too Liberal in order to get elected or reelected; but, once elected, most politicians will make policy that is true to their actual value system. I believe this is true of Hilary. She is keeping her mouth shut, or at least is shying away from saying too much regarding Cannabis because she wants to get elected, and needs the centrist support to do so. However, I believe she will continue the Obama legacy of liberating low-level drug prisoners, and push for many needed reforms of the Criminal Justice system. She will not stand in the way of Progressive policy, and I would not be surprised if she even supports the Federal rescheduling of Cannabis as soon as the election is over. So, it is my humble opinion that Cannabis users have a good representative in either one of the Democratic candidates. The only major difference is that Bernie is willing to admit it before the election.

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